Means for propelling boats



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. KEIM.

MEANS FOR PROPELLING BOATS.

No. 591,534. Patented Oct. 12,1897.

mvzmon, M

WITNESSES:

azmmg %%w Hi5 ATTORNEY.

no WASNINGYON n c (NoMorleL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. KEIM. MEANS FOR PROPELLING BOATS. No. 591,534. Patented Oct. 12,1891

Hi5 ATTORNEY.

WITNESSES:

. carries a crank.

UNITED STATE-S I PATENT OFFICE.

JOIIN'KEIM, on NEW YoRK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO JOHN S. LEVIS, or BROOKLYN, NEW YoRK.

MEANS FORIPROPELLING BOATS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 591,534, dated October 12, 1897.

' Application filed May 6, 1895. Serial No. 548,364. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it Meaty concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN KEIM, of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Im provement in Means for Propelling Boats, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to that class of mechanical movements which serve to transform a vibratory or to-and-fro movement into one of continuous rotation about an axis and its adaptation as a means for the propulsion of a boat. The vibratoryor to-and-fro'movement may be that of one or more levers operated by a person in a manner resembling the operation of the oars of a boat, while the contin u-' ous rotation may be that of the propellershaft through the revolution of which the boat is driven forward or backward.

I will describe a mechanical movement combined with the propelling apparatus of a boat in Whichare embodied the features of my improvement, andthen point out the novel features in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of the stern portion of a boat, showing a mechanical movement located therein embodying my improvement and which may be applied to the propulsion of the boat. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of Fig. 1 on line 2 2 of that figure. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a modified form of the improvement as adapted to be driven by two persons. -Fig. 4; is a crosssection on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. j

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures. I

A is the driven shaft, to which a continuous rotary movement is imparted. by means presently to be described. It is journaled in bearings in the present instance supported on a framework B, which is secured within the boat.

For transmitting motion to the propellershaft 0, I provide the driven shaft A with a bevel-gear c, meshing with a second bevelgear a, affixed to the propeller-shaft. A sprocket chain and'wheels may, however, be used for transmitting motion.

The upper extremity of the driven shaft A In the present instance this crank is formed by a pin D, carried by a fly- 5o 1 F is a swinging'rod pivoted at the point f I to the frame 13 or a stationary part of the boat. At its opposite end the swinging rod F is pivoted to the fulcrum-arm e.

G G are oar-like levers mounted to swing aboutpivot points g and g, respectively, on the gunwales of the boat. The inner ends of these levers may be moved backward and forward similar to oars of a boat. It is evident that a corresponding movement will be given to'the outer ends of these oar-like levers. A link H transmits motion from the outer end of the lever G to the power-arm e, I

while a link H connects the outer end of the lever 'G with the power-arm c for transmitting motion from the one to the other.

I have represented in dotted lines the paths traced by the pivotal points of the various levers and rods during the operation of the mechanism, showing on these paths a series of points designated by numbers to represent the simultaneous positions of the pivotal points atseveral phases oftheir movements.

' While the outer ends of the levers G and G vibrate to and fro in the arcs of circles, the paths traversed by the points of attachment of the power-arms e and c with the links H and H will form figures representing ellipses. The two ellipses will beof different forms--that is, the relation between the major'and minor axis in each will be difierent from that in the other and they will be differently positioned. v

The person operating the mechanism may sit facing the bow of the boat, in which case I will provide means whereby the boat may be steered by the feet.

I is a foot-rest pivoted to the bottom boards of the boat at i and adapted to be swung upon its pivot-point by the feet of the operator. A toe-block I may be supplied.

At each side of the foot-rest I there is an upright rod '2', from the upper end of which there extends a cord i fastened at one end of the rudder-yoke I rest about its pivot-point i the rudder will be swung upon its pivots to steer the boat.

Instead of arranging the oar-like levers so that they may be operated by the same person they may be so fitted to the boat as to be operated by two persons, as represented in Figs. 3 and 4. parts may be the same as before, except that the links K and K are longer than the corresponding links in the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. The oar-like levers L L are also shown in these figures as being pivoted to Outriggers Z Z, while the links L L are secured to the oar-like levers inboard of the Outriggers.

Having described my invention, what I consider as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A device for propelling a boat the same consisting of a propeller-shaft,a "ertical shaft, means for transmitting motion from said vertical shaft to the propeller-shaft, a fly-wheel on said vertical shaft, a three-armed lever mounted on a crank-pin on said fly-wheel, an arm pivotally secured at one end to the boat, the other end of said arm being connectedto one arm of the three-armed lever, and means secured to the other two arms of the threearmed lever for transmitting motion thereto, substantially as specified.

2. A device for propelling a boat comprising in combination a rotary shaft, a threearmed lever having a pivotal connection with a crank-pin attached to a fly-wheel on said shaft, a vibratory or fulcrum arm pivoted at one end to the boat and at the opposite end to said three-armed lever, oar-like levers fulcrumed to the boat, links connecting said levers with the said three-armed lever, and means for transmitting motion from said rotary shaft to the propeller-shaft substantially as specified.

3. A device for propellinga boat having in combination a propeller-shaft, a vertical ro- By moving the foot- In these figures the various tary shaft imparting motion thereto, a threearmed lever having a pivotal connection with a crank-pin attached to a fly-wheel on the vertical shaft, a vibratory or fulcrumed arm pivoted at one end to the boat and at the opposite end to said three-armed lever, oar-like levers fulcrumed to the boat, and links conneeting said levers with the said threearmed lever, substantially as specified.

4. A device for propelling a boat having in combination a propeller-shaft, a second shaft imparting motion to the first shaft, a threearmed lever having a pivotal connection with a crank-pin attached to a fiy-wheel on the second shaft, a movable fulcrum for said three-armed lever, and means operated by the rower for vibrating said three-armed lever on its fulcrum, substantially as specified.

5. A device for propelling a boat havingin combination a propeller-shaft, a second shaft imparting motion to the first shaft, a threearmed lever consisting of a fulcrumed arm and two power-arms, said three-armed lever having a pivotal connection with a crank-pin attached to a fly-wheel on the second shaft said connection being situated on a powerarm, a movable fulcrum for the fulcru m-arm, and means connected with the power-arms for vibrating said three-armed lever on its fulcrum, substantially as specified.

6. A device for propelling aboat having in combination a propeller-shaft, a second shaft imparting motion to the first shaft, a threearmed lever consisting of a fulcrumed arm and two power-arms said three-armed lever having a pivotal connection with a crank-pin attached to a fiy-wheel on a second shaft said connection being situated on a powerarm, a vibratory or fulcrum arm pivoted to the boat and to the fulcrum-arm, oar-like levers fulcrumed to the boat, and links connectin g said levers with the power-arms, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN KEIM.

Witnesses:

W. LAIRD GOLDSBOROUGH, PIERsoN L. WELLs. 

